Record-breaking Messi takes top scorer honour

FC Barcelona failed to become the first team to successfully defend the UEFA Champions League but Lionel Messi could take some consolation in finishing as the competition's top scorer for an unprecedented fourth successive campaign, his 14 goals also matching the record for the highest tally in a European Cup season.

FC Bayern München's Mario Gomez was still in the running going into Saturday's final against Cheslea FC, but was unable to add to his 12-goal total. Cristiano Ronaldo finishes third on ten goals, with his Real Madrid CF team-mate Karim Benzema three strikes further back and Chelsea FC hero Didier Drogba on six – yet it was Messi's season once again.

The Barcelona forward managed 12 goals in 2010/11, matching the UEFA Champions League record set by Ruud van Nistelrooy with Manchester United FC in 2002/03, but went two better this term. Messi's total was bolstered by five goals in the round of 16 second leg against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the first player to manage the feat in a single UEFA Champions League match.

In 2010/11 Messi had become the third man after Gerd Müller (1972/73, 1973/74, 1974/75) and Jean-Pierre Papin (1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92) to top the scoring charts in three consecutive European Cup campaigns. While the Argentinian is the first player to finish as the leading marksman in four successive seasons, he also matches the achievement of Müller, whose five goals in 1976/77 made him the joint-leading scorer that season for the fourth time.

Furthermore Messi equalled the mark of AC Milan's José Altafini, who now jointly holds the record for the highest number of goals scored in a European Cup campaign, 14 in 1962/63.

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